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DDT production to be stopped

By Mostafa Kamal Majumder
Bangladesh has decided to stop the production of DDT (Dtchloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane), an internationally banned insecticide, in view of its harmful environmental impacts.
The Ministry of Industries at a meeting recently decided to convert the DDT plant at Barabkunda in Chittagong into one producing less harmful pesticides like Diazinon, reliable sources say.
The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) had taken up a proposal last year for Balancing Modernisation. Rehabilitation and Expansion (BMRE) of the plant at a cost of Taka three crore to make It suitable for DDT production for another two years.
The Ministry of Environment, however, raised objections because the proposed BMRE of the DDT plant would only be a wastage of money since it could not be in
operation after two years.
Environment Ministry officials suggested that the BMRE of the plant should be undertaken to convert it into one producing less harmful insecticides.
The Industries Ministry and BCIC accepted the suggestion.
A BCIC source told The Daily Star that they have appointed an Indian firm to suggest the needed BMRE of the DDT plant.
The government-owned DDT plant was set up In 1966 by the then East Pakistan
Corporation (EPIDC) basically to support the massive malaria eradication drive of that time.
DDT was also used for checking pest attacks on agricultural crops.
The use of DDT was so extensive in the late sixties and early seventies that it led to the loss of many species of useful insects, birds and fish. DDT was applied on fences and walls of dwellings to kill mosquitoes.
Ultimately the insecticide entered the food cycle through fish and crops. And scientists say the concentration of DDT tn humans in Bangladesh is 12.5 parts per million (PPM) at least five times higher than that in the United Kingdom.
The use of DDT In agriculture has been banned for many years. It has been restricted to public health use in about two dozen countries of the world.
In Bangladesh the Department of Health Services had so long been the main buyer of DDT produced from the plant at Barabkunda. However. DDT was being sc cretly used for the production of mosquito coil, and applied on dried fish in store houses to protect those from insect attacks. Experts say it was secretly being used in agriculture.
Those who advocated the continuation of DDT production had argued that the insecticide was still being produced tn neighbouring countries.
The DDT plant at Barabkunda which was set up with an installed capacity of 18000 tonnes a year has by now become a wprn-out unit.
Its production capacity has come down gradually and in 1989-90 only about 400 tonnes of DDT were produced
The plant was Incurring loss. But production of DDT was continued keeping tn view the Jobs of its several hundred employees. according to sources.